Championship club Derby leads the way with new ticketing initiative
15 Jun 2012
Championship club Derby County is set to pioneer a new commercial initiative for English football by introducing demand based pricing for its home match tickets during the 2012-13 season.
The club states it has the full backing of the Football League to introduce the scheme, which is commonplace amongst major American sports teams but has yet to work its way across the Atlantic. Starting from next season Derby hopes to be able to attract new supporters to games through more flexible pricing for home fans, while offering more options for existing fans to visit Pride Park Stadium. Season ticket holders will continue to be rewarded for their loyalty and commitment, with the club pledging that the best-priced tickets shall remain enshrined as part of their season ticket package.
Under the new system, the prices of single matchday tickets from next season will now fluctuate dependant on a number of key factors. Ticket prices can change on a daily basis based on real-time market conditions such as team performance, rivalries, day of the week and the weather among other factors – reflecting the demand for tickets. This means that supporters who choose to purchase their individual tickets early will get the best possible pricing deal before any potential fluctuation in prices. Derby is teaming up with Digonex, a leader in dynamic pricing technology, to deliver the initiative.
“We are very excited about the positive impact demand based pricing will have on both our attendance and revenue next season,” said Derby County’s chief executive Tom Glick, who is poised to become Manchester City’s chief commercial and operating officer in August. “Ensuring our match tickets are priced appropriately, we believe we will entice new fans to Pride Park as well as offering more options to existing supporters whilst reengaging with those supporters who haven’t been able to attend matches at Pride Park as much as they would have wished in the last few years. As a club we are determined to find new and improved ways to make Pride Park an affordable and friendly place to visit and see demand pricing as a positive step.”
